TRANSCAT INC - Quarter Report: 2022 December (Form 10-Q)

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

TRANSCAT, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

TRANSCAT, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In Thousands)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

TRANSCAT, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Amounts)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

TRANSCAT, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In Thousands)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

TRANSCAT, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(In Thousands, Except Par Value Amounts)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

TRANSCAT, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

NOTE 1 – GENERAL

Description of Business: Transcat, Inc. (“Transcat,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) is a leading provider of accredited calibration services, enterprise asset management services, and value-added distributor of professional grade handheld test, measurement and control instrumentation. The Company is focused on providing services and products to highly regulated industries, particularly the life science industry, which includes pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and other FDA-regulated businesses. Additional industries served include industrial manufacturing; energy and utilities, including oil and gas; chemical manufacturing; FAA-regulated businesses, including aerospace and defense and other industries that require accuracy in their processes, confirmation of the capabilities of their equipment, and for which the risk of failure is very costly.

Basis of Presentation: Transcat’s unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, the Consolidated Financial Statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) have been included. The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of what the results will be for the fiscal year. The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the fiscal year ended  March 26, 2022 (“fiscal year 2022”) contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2022 filed with the SEC.

Revenue Recognition: Distribution sales are recorded when an order’s title and risk of loss transfers to the customer, which is generally upon shipment. The Company recognizes the majority of its Service revenue based upon when the calibration or other activity is performed and then shipped and/or delivered to the customer. The majority of the Company’s revenue generating activities have a single performance obligation and are recognized at the point in time when control transfers and/or our obligation has been fulfilled. Some Service revenue is generated from managing customers’ calibration programs in which the Company recognizes revenue over time using the output method-time elapsed as this portrays the transfer of control to the customer. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for product shipped or services performed. Sales taxes and other taxes billed and collected from customers are excluded from revenue. The Company generally invoices its customers for freight, shipping, and handling charges. Freight billed to customers is included in revenue. Shipping and handling is not included in revenue. Provisions for customer returns are provided for in the period the related revenue is recorded based upon historical data.

Under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, we use judgments that could potentially impact both the timing of our satisfaction of performance obligations and our determination of transaction prices used in determining revenue recognized. Such judgments include considerations in determining our transaction prices and when our performance obligations are satisfied for our standard product sales that include general payment terms that are between net 30 and 90 days.

Revenue recognized from prior period performance obligations for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending March 25, 2023 (“fiscal year 2023”) was immaterial. As of December 24, 2022, the Company had no unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected duration of greater than one year. Pursuant to Topic 606, the Company applied the practical expedient with respect to disclosure of the deferral and future expected timing of revenue recognition for transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations. Deferred revenue, unbilled revenue and deferred contract costs recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 24, 2022 and March 26, 2022 were immaterial. See Note 4 for disaggregated revenue information.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments: Transcat has determined the fair value of debt and other financial instruments using a valuation hierarchy. The hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value, consists of three levels. Level 1 uses observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; Level 2 uses inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, which is defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, requires the Company to develop its own assumptions. The carrying amount of debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets approximates fair value due to variable interest rate pricing on a portion of the debt with the balance bearing an interest rate approximating current market rates, and the carrying amounts for cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value due to their short-term nature. Investment assets, which fund the Company’s non-qualified deferred compensation plan, consist of mutual funds and are valued based on Level 1 inputs. At each of December 24, 2022 and March 26, 2022, investment assets totaled $0.2 million, and are included as a component of other assets (non-current) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Stock-Based Compensation: The Company measures the cost of services received in exchange for all equity awards granted, including stock options and restricted stock units, based on the fair market value of the award as of the grant date. The Company records compensation cost related to unvested equity awards by recognizing, on a straight-line basis, the unamortized grant date fair value over the remaining service period of each award. Excess tax benefits for share-based award activity are reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Income as a component of the provision for income taxes. Excess tax benefits are realized benefits from tax deductions for exercised awards in excess of the deferred tax asset attributable to stock-based compensation costs for such awards. The Company did not capitalize any stock-based compensation costs as part of an asset. The Company estimates forfeiture rates based on its historical experience. During the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022, the Company recorded non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $2.8 million and $1.7 million, respectively, in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions: The accounts of Cal OpEx Limited (d/b/a NEXA Enterprise Asset Management), an Irish company, Galium Limited (d/b/a Complete Calibrations), an Irish company, and Transcat Canada Inc., all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company, are maintained in the local currencies, the Euro, Euro and Canadian dollar, respectively, and have been translated to U.S. dollars. Accordingly, the amounts representing assets and liabilities have been translated at the period-end rates of exchange and related revenue and expense accounts have been translated at an average rate of exchange during the period. Gains and losses arising from translation of Cal OpEx Limited’s, Galium Limited's and Transcat Canada Inc.’s financial statements into U.S. dollars are recorded directly to the accumulated other comprehensive loss component of shareholders’ equity.

Transcat records foreign currency gains and losses on business transactions denominated in foreign currency. The net foreign currency loss was less than $0.1 million in each of the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022. The Company continually utilizes short-term foreign exchange forward contracts to reduce the risk that its future earnings denominated in Canadian dollars would be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates. The Company does not apply hedge accounting and therefore the net change in the fair value of the contracts, which totaled a gain of $0.3 million and less than $0.1 million during the first nine months of fiscal years 2023 and 2022, respectively, was recognized as a component of Interest and Other Expenses, net in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The change in the fair value of the contracts is offset by the change in fair value on the underlying accounts receivables denominated in Canadian dollars being hedged. On December 24, 2022, the Company had a foreign exchange contract, which matured in January 2023, outstanding in the notional amount of $3.0 million. This contract was subsequently renewed and remains in place. The Company does not use hedging arrangements for speculative purposes.

Earnings Per Share: Basic earnings per share of common stock is computed based on the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share of common stock reflect the assumed conversion of stock options and unvested restricted stock units using the treasury stock method in periods in which they have a dilutive effect. In computing the per share effect of assumed conversion, proceeds received from the exercise of options and unvested restricted stock units are considered to have been used to purchase shares of common stock at the average market prices during the period, and the resulting net additional shares of common stock are included in the calculation of average shares of common stock outstanding.

For the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, the net additional common stock equivalents had no effect on the calculation of diluted earnings per share. For the third quarter of fiscal year 2022, the net additional common stock equivalents had a ($0.01) effect on the calculation of diluted earnings per share. For the first nine months of fiscal year 2023, and fiscal year 2022, the net additional common stock equivalents had a ($0.01) effect on the calculation of diluted earnings per share. The average shares outstanding used to compute basic and diluted earnings per share are as follows (amounts in thousands):

Goodwill and Intangible Assets: Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair values of the underlying net assets of an acquired business. The Company tests goodwill for impairment for each reporting unit on an annual basis during the fourth quarter of its fiscal year, or immediately if conditions indicate that such impairment could exist. The Company is permitted, but not required, to qualitatively assess indicators of a reporting unit’s fair value to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. If a quantitative test is deemed necessary, a discounted cash flow analysis is prepared to estimate fair value.

Intangible assets, namely customer base and covenants not to compete, represent an allocation of purchase price to identifiable intangible assets of an acquired business. Intangible assets are evaluated for impairment when events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. A summary of changes in the Company’s goodwill and intangible assets is as follows (amounts in thousands):

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements: In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), which significantly changes how entities will measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The ASU replaces the "incurred loss" model with an "expected credit loss" model that requires entities to estimate an expected lifetime credit loss on financial assets, including trade accounts receivable. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2022. Allowance for doubtful accounts is the most significant item for the Company under this ASU. As credit losses from the Company's trade receivables have not historically been significant, the Company anticipates that the adoption of the ASU will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

NOTE 2 – LONG-TERM DEBT

On July 7, 2021, we entered into the Second Amended and Restated Credit Facility Agreement (the “2021 Credit Agreement”) with Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company (“M&T”), that amended and restated in its entirety the Company’s Amended and Restated Credit Facility Agreement dated as of October 30, 2017, as amended by Amended and Restated Credit Facility Agreement Amendment 1 dated December 10, 2018 and Amended and Restated Credit Facility Agreement Amendment 2 (“Amendment Two”) dated May 18, 2020 (as amended, the “Prior Credit Agreement”).

The 2021 Credit Agreement increased the revolving credit commitment (the “Revolving Credit Commitment”) from $40.0 million to $80.0 million, with a letter of credit subfacility increased from $2.0 million to $10.0 million, and extended the term of the Revolving Credit Commitment to June 2026. The 2021 Credit Agreement amended the definition of Applicable Margin (formerly Applicable Rate under the Prior Credit Agreement), which is based upon the Company’s then current leverage ratio and is used to determine interest charges on outstanding and unused borrowings under the revolving credit facility; the amendments reduced the Applicable Margins payable at the two highest leverage ratio levels. The 2021 Credit Agreement also amended the definition of Permitted Acquisitions, that is, acquisitions which are permitted under, and may be financed with proceeds of, the revolving credit facility, including increasing the aggregate purchase price for acquisitions consummated in any fiscal year from $1.0 million to $65.0 million during fiscal year 2022 and $50.0 million during any subsequent fiscal year, and adding an aggregate purchase price of $40.0 million for acquisitions consummated at any time during the term of the 2021 Credit Agreement related to businesses with a principal place of business located in the United Kingdom or the European Union.

In addition, the 2021 Credit Agreement provides that, assuming no event of default, restricted payments up to $25.0 million (increased from $10.0 million in the Prior Credit Agreement) in the aggregate and $10.0 million (increased from $3.0 million in the Prior Credit Agreement) in any single fiscal year may be used by us to repurchase our shares and pay dividends. The 2021 Credit Agreement modified the leverage ratio and fixed charge coverage ratio covenants with which we are required to comply. The 2021 Credit Agreement also reduced the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) floor from 1.0% to 0.25% and included a mechanism for adoption of a different benchmark rate upon the discontinuation of LIBOR. The 2021 Credit Agreement also reduced the fixed interest rate on our term loan in the amount of $15.0 million (the “2018 Term Loan”) was reduced from 4.15% to 3.90%.

The 2021 Credit Agreement superseded in its entirety, the Prior Credit Agreement. Amendment Two to the Prior Credit Agreement had previously extended the term of the revolving credit facility to October 20, 2022 and increased the revolving credit commitment to $40.0 million.

Amendment Two had modified the definition of the applicable rate used to determine interest charges on outstanding and unused borrowings under the revolving credit facility and it amended the definition of permitted acquisitions to amend borrowings available under the revolving credit facility for acquisitions. In addition, Amendment Two had amended the definition of restricted payments to exclude amounts up to $2.5 million during each fiscal year used to pay certain employee tax obligations associated with share-based payment and stock option activity, and modified certain restrictions to the Company’s ability to repurchase its shares and pay dividends. Amendment Two also had modified the leverage ratio and fixed charge coverage ratio covenants with which the Company was required to comply and limited capital expenditures to $5.5 million for fiscal year 2021. Amendment Two also had established a LIBOR floor of 1.0% and included a mechanism for adoption of a different benchmark rate in the event LIBOR was discontinued.

As of December 24, 2022, $80.0 million was available under the revolving credit facility, of which $42.2 million was outstanding and included in long-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the first nine months of fiscal year 2023, $8.3 million was used for three business acquisitions.

As of December 24, 2022, $7.0 million was outstanding on the 2018 Term Loan, of which $2.2 million was included in current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets with the remainder included in long-term debt. The 2018 Term Loan requires total repayments (principal plus interest) of $0.2 million per month through December 2025.

Interest and Other Costs: Interest on outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility accrue, at Transcat’s election, at either the variable one-month LIBOR or a fixed rate for a designated period at the LIBOR corresponding to such period (subject to a 1% floor during the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 and a 0.25% floor for subsequent periods), in each case, plus a margin. Interest on outstanding borrowings under the 2018 Term Loan accrued at a fixed rate of 4.15% during the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 and accrued at a fixed rate of 3.90% during the second quarter of fiscal year 2022 and accrues at a fixed rate of 3.90% over the term of the loan for subsequent periods. Unused fees accrue based on the average daily amount of unused credit available on the revolving credit facility. Interest rate margins and unused fees are determined on a quarterly basis based upon the Company’s calculated leverage ratio. The Company’s interest rate for the revolving credit facility for the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 ranged from 1.6% to 6.0%.

Covenants: The 2021 Credit Agreement has certain covenants with which the Company must comply, including a fixed charge ratio covenant and a leverage ratio covenant. The Company was in compliance with all loan covenants and requirements during the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. Our leverage ratio, as defined in the 2021 Credit Agreement, was 1.66 at December 24, 2022, compared with 1.74 at March 26, 2022.

Pursuant to the Prior Credit Agreement, we were required to comply with a fixed charge ratio covenant and a leverage ratio covenant, which were modified by the 2021 Credit Agreement. The allowable leverage ratio under the Prior Credit Agreement for the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 was a maximum multiple of 4.0 of total debt outstanding compared to EBITDA and non-cash stock-based compensation expense for the preceding four consecutive fiscal quarters. The Prior Credit Agreement also had provided that the trailing twelve-month pro forma EBITDA of an acquired business was included in the allowable leverage calculation. After the first quarter of fiscal year 2022, pursuant to the 2021 Credit Agreement, the allowable leverage ratio is a maximum multiple of 3.0.

Other Terms: The Company has pledged all of its U.S. tangible and intangible personal property, the equity interests of its U.S.-based subsidiaries, and a majority of the common stock of Transcat Canada Inc. as collateral security for the loans made under the revolving credit facility.

NOTE 3 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

In September 2021, the Transcat, Inc. 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”) was approved by shareholders and became effective. The 2021 Plan replaced the Transcat, Inc. 2003 Incentive Plan (the “2003 Plan”). Shares available for grant under the 2021 Plan include any shares remaining available for issuance under the 2003 Plan and any shares that are subject to outstanding awards under the 2003 Plan that are subsequently canceled, expired, forfeited, or otherwise not issued or are settled in cash. The 2021 Plan provides for, among other awards, grants of restricted stock units and stock options to directors, officers and key employees at the fair market value at the date of grant. At December 24, 2022, 0.7 million shares of common stock were available for future grant under the 2021 Plan.

The Company receives an excess tax benefit related to restricted stock vesting and stock options exercised and redeemed. The discrete tax benefits related to share-based compensation and stock option activity during the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022 were $0.5 million and $1.7 million, respectively.

Restricted Stock Units: The Company grants time-based and performance-based restricted stock units as a component of executive and key employee compensation. Expense for restricted stock unit grants is recognized on a straight-line basis for the service period of the stock award based upon fair value of the award on the date of grant. The fair value of the restricted stock unit grants is the quoted market price for the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. These restricted stock units are either time vested, or vest following the third fiscal year from the date of grant subject to cumulative diluted earnings per share targets over the eligible period.

Compensation cost ultimately recognized for performance-based restricted stock units will equal the grant date fair market value of the unit that coincides with the actual outcome of the performance conditions. On an interim basis, the Company records compensation cost based on the estimated level of achievement of the performance conditions. The expense relating to the time vested restricted stock units is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award.

The Company achieved 82% of the target level for the performance-based restricted stock units granted in the fiscal year ended March 28, 2020 and as a result, issued 16 thousand shares of common stock to executive officers and certain key employees during the first quarter of fiscal year 2023. The following table summarizes the non-vested restricted stock units outstanding as of December 24, 2022 (in thousands, except per unit data):

Total expense relating to restricted stock units, based on grant date fair value and the achievement criteria, was $1.7 million and $1.2 million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022, respectively. As of December 24, 2022, unearned compensation, to be recognized over the grants’ respective service periods, totaled $2.7 million.

Stock Options: The Company grants stock options to employees and directors with an exercise price equal to the quoted market price of the Company’s stock at the date of the grant. The fair value of stock options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing formula that requires assumptions for expected volatility, expected dividends, the risk-free interest rate and the expected term of the option. Expense for stock options is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each award. Options vest either immediately or over a period of up to five years using a straight-line basis and expire either five years or ten years from the date of grant.

We calculate the fair value of the stock options granted using the Black-Scholes model. There were no stock options granted during the three months ended December 24, 2022 and December 25, 2021.  The following weighted-average assumptions were used to value options granted during the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022:

We calculate expected volatility for stock options by taking an average of historical volatility over the expected term. The computation of expected term was determined based on safe harbor rules, giving consideration to the contractual terms of the stock-based awards and vesting schedules. The interest rate for periods within the contractual life of the award is based on the U.S. Treasury yield in effect at the time of grant. We assume no expected dividends. Under FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation”, the Company has elected to account for forfeitures as they occur.

During the first nine months of fiscal year 2023, the Company granted options for 46,000 shares of common stock in the aggregate to Company employees that vest over three years and an option for 10,000 shares of common stock to a Board of Directors member that vests over five years.

During the first nine months of fiscal year 2022, the Company granted options for 25,000 shares of common stock in the aggregate to Company employees that vest over three to five years, an option for 2,000 shares of common stock each to five employees (10,000 shares in the aggregate) that vests over three years and options for 90,000 shares of common stock in the aggregate to Company employees that vest over five years.

The expense related to all stock option awards was $1.1 million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and $0.4 million in the first nine months of fiscal year 2022.

The following table summarizes the Company’s options as of and for the first nine months ended December 24, 2022 (in thousands, except price per option data and years):

The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value (the difference between the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day of the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money stock options) that would have been received by the option holders had all holders exercised their options on December 24, 2022. The amount of aggregate intrinsic value will change based on the fair market value of the Company’s common stock.

Total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options as of December 24, 2022 was $2.2 million, which is expected to be recognized over a period of three years. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022 was $0.2 million and $6.9 million, respectively. Cash received from the exercise of options in the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022 was less than $0.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively.

NOTE 4 – SEGMENT INFORMATION

The basis for determining our operating segments is the manner in which financial information is used in monitoring our operations. Transcat has two reportable segments: Service and Distribution. Through our Service segment, we offer calibration, repair, inspection, analytical qualifications, preventative maintenance, consulting and other related services. Through our Distribution segment, we sell and rent national and proprietary brand instruments to customers globally. The Company has no inter-segment sales. We believe that reporting performance at the operating income level is the best indicator of segment performance. The following table presents segment and geographic data for the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022 (dollars in thousands):

NOTE 5 – BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS

Complete Calibrations: Effective September 28, 2022, Transcat purchased all of the outstanding capital stock of Galium Limited (d/b/a Complete Calibrations) ("Complete Calibrations"), an Irish company.  This transaction aligned with a key component of the Company’s acquisition strategy of targeting businesses that expand the depth and breadth of the Company’s Service capabilities. 

All the goodwill related to the Complete Calibrations acquisition has been allocated to the Service segment. Amortization of goodwill related to the Complete Calibrations acquisition is not deductible for tax purposes.  The goodwill is primarily attributable to the workforce acquired, as well as operational synergies and other intangibles that do not qualify for separate recognition.

The total purchase price paid for Complete Calibrations was approximately $1.2 million in cash.  In connection with this transaction, the Company also entered into a Technology License Agreement with Calibration Robots Limited, an Irish company and related party to Complete Calibrations, for the use of their proprietary robotics in completing calibrations.  The Technology License Agreement includes transactional royalties in the amount of 3 Euros ($3) per calibration performed by technology covered under this license agreement, with a royalty term of up to ten years commencing from the earlier of (i) the date on which cumulative revenue earned from technology covered under this license agreement equals 0.75 million Euros ($0.80 million), and (ii) March 28, 2024.  In addition to the transactional royalties, as long as a key employee is employed by the Company, there is an annual royalty fee of 0.1 million Euros ($0.1 million).  For purposes of this paragraph, we used a conversion rate of 1.0617 to convert Euro to U.S. dollar as of December 24, 2022.

The purchase price allocation is subject to revision based upon our final review of assets acquired, and liabilities assumed. The following is a summary of the preliminary purchase price allocation, in the aggregate, to the fair value, based on Level 3 inputs, of Complete Calibrations’ assets and liabilities acquired on September 28, 2022 (in thousands):

From the date of acquisition, Complete Calibrations has contributed revenue of $0.1 million and operating income of less than $0.1 million.

e2b: Effective September 27, 2022, Transcat acquired substantially all of the assets of e2b Calibration (“e2b”), an Ohio based provider of calibration services.  This transaction aligned with a key component of the Company’s acquisition strategy of targeting businesses that expand the depth and breadth of the Company’s Service capabilities. 

The e2b goodwill is primarily attributable to the workforce acquired, as well as operational synergies and other intangibles that do not qualify for separate recognition. All the goodwill and intangible assets relating to the e2b acquisition has been allocated to the Service segment. Intangible assets related to the e2b acquisition are being amortized for financial reporting purposes on an accelerated basis over the estimated useful life of up to fifteen years and are deductible for tax purposes. Amortization of goodwill related to the e2b acquisition is deductible for tax purposes.

The total purchase price paid for the assets of e2b was approximately $3.1 million in cash.  Pursuant to the asset purchase agreement, the Company has $0.9 million of the purchase price in escrow for certain potential post-closing adjustments.   

The purchase price allocation is subject to revision based upon our final review of intangible asset valuation assumptions, working capital adjustments, assets acquired, and liabilities assumed. The following is a summary of the preliminary purchase price allocation, in the aggregate, to the fair value, based on Level 3 inputs, of e2b’s assets and liabilities acquired on September 27, 2022 (in thousands):

From the date of acquisition, e2b has contributed revenue of $0.9 million and operating income of $0.2 million, which includes the negative impact of amortization of the acquired intangible assets.

Alliance: Effective May 31, 2022, Transcat acquired substantially all of the assets of Charlton Jeffmont Inc., Raitz Inc. and Toolroom Calibration Inc. d/b/a Alliance Calibration (“Alliance”), an Ohio based provider of calibration services. This transaction aligned with a key component of the Company’s acquisition strategy of targeting businesses that expand the depth and breadth of the Company’s service capabilities.

The Alliance goodwill is primarily attributable to the workforce acquired, as well as operational synergies and other intangibles that do not qualify for separate recognition. All the goodwill and intangible assets relating to the Alliance acquisition has been allocated to the Service segment. Intangible assets related to the Alliance acquisition are being amortized for financial reporting purposes on an accelerated basis over the estimated useful life of up to fifteen years and are deductible for tax purposes. Amortization of goodwill related to the Alliance acquisition is deductible for tax purposes.

The purchase price for Alliance was approximately $4.7 million and was paid with $4.0 million in cash and the issuance of 2,284 shares of our common stock valued at $0.1 million. Pursuant to the asset purchase agreement, the Company held back $0.5 million of the purchase price for certain potential post-closing adjustments, and the purchase price will be subject to reduction by $0.5 million if a key customer relationship is not retained.

The purchase price allocation is subject to revision based upon our final review of intangible asset valuation assumptions, working capital adjustments, assets acquired, and liabilities assumed. The following is a summary of the preliminary purchase price allocation, in the aggregate, to the fair value, based on Level 3 inputs, of Alliance’s assets and liabilities acquired on May 31, 2022 (in thousands):

From the date of acquisition, Alliance has contributed revenue of $1.3 million and operating income of $0.1 million, which includes the negative impact of amortization of the acquired intangible assets.

Tangent: Effective December 31, 2021, Transcat purchased all the outstanding membership units of Tangent Labs, LLC (“Tangent”). Tangent provides in-house and on-site calibrations of precision measurement and control instrumentation to customers in the life science, aerospace and other regulated industries, and has lab locations in Indianapolis, Indiana and Huntsville, Alabama. This transaction aligned with a key component of the Company’s strategy of acquiring local capabilities in attractive geographies.

The Tangent goodwill is primarily attributable to the workforce acquired, as well as operational synergies and other intangibles that do not qualify for separate recognition. All the goodwill and intangible assets relating to the Tangent acquisition has been allocated to the Service segment. Intangible assets related to the Tangent acquisition are being amortized for financial reporting purposes on an accelerated basis over the estimated useful life of up to fifteen years and are deductible for tax purposes. Amortization of goodwill related to the Tangent acquisition is not deductible for tax purposes.

The purchase price for Tangent was approximately $8.9 million, all paid in cash, and is subject to certain customary holdback provisions and a portion of which was placed in escrow to secure the sellers’ obligations in the event that a key employee terminates employment with Tangent on or before the first anniversary of the closing of the transaction.  $7.9 million was paid in cash and $1.0 million of the purchase price has been put into escrow for indemnification claims, if any.

During the second quarter of fiscal year 2023, the key employee terminated their employment with the Company.  As a result, the Company took $0.2 million out of the escrow account and it was recorded as a gain in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Income.

During the second quarter of fiscal year 2023, a measurement period adjustment was recorded to recognize the fair value of Property and Equipment acquired, with a corresponding reduction to Goodwill. There was no remeasurement period adjustment in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. The following is a summary of the purchase price allocation, in the aggregate, to the fair value, based on Level 3 inputs, of Tangent’s assets and liabilities acquired on December 31, 2021 (in thousands):

During the first nine months of fiscal year 2023, Tangent contributed revenue of $1.7 million and operating loss of less than $0.1 million, which includes the negative impact of amortization of the acquired intangible assets.

NEXA: Effective August 31, 2021, Transcat purchased all of the outstanding capital stock of Cal OpEx Limited (d/b/a NEXA Enterprise Asset Management), an Irish company, which owns all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of its U.S.-based subsidiary, Cal OpEx Inc., a Delaware corporation (collectively, “NEXA”). NEXA provides calibration optimization and other technical solutions to improve asset and reliability management programs to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies worldwide. This transaction aligned with a key component of the Company’s acquisition strategy of targeting businesses that expand the depth and breadth of the Company’s Service capabilities.

The NEXA goodwill is primarily attributable to the workforce acquired, as well as operational synergies and other intangibles that do not qualify for separate recognition. All of the goodwill and intangible assets relating to the NEXA acquisition has been allocated to the Service segment. Intangible assets related to the NEXA acquisition are being amortized for financial reporting purposes on an accelerated basis over the estimated useful life of up to five years and are deductible for tax purposes. Amortization of goodwill related to the NEXA acquisition is not deductible for tax purposes.

The purchase price for NEXA was approximately $26.2 million and was paid with $23.9 million in cash and the issuance of 34,943 shares of our common stock valued at $2.4 million. Additionally, there are potential earn-out payments of up to $7.5 million over the four-year period following the closing of the transaction based upon NEXA achieving certain annual revenue and EBITDA goals. If achieved, the earn-out payments will also be made in shares of common stock unless certain criteria is met for cash payment. As of August 31, 2021 the estimated fair value for the contingent earn-out payments, classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, was $0.2 million and included in the purchase price allocation below. This amount was calculated using a Geometric Brownian motion distribution that was then used in a Monte Carlo simulation model. Assumptions used in the Monte Carlo simulation model included: 1) weighted-average cost of capital of 6.60%, 2) risk-free interest rate of 0.58%, 3) asset volatility of 20.00%, and 4) forecasted revenue and EBITDA. This contingent consideration is remeasured quarterly. If, as a result of remeasurement, the value of the contingent consideration changes, any charges or income will be included in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income.  During the second quarter of fiscal year 2023, the Company reduced the contingent consideration down to zero.  As a result of remeasurement, the change was included in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income.  There were no remeasurement adjustments during the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. $0.1 million of the purchase price has been put into escrow for indemnification claims, if any.

The following is a summary of the purchase price allocation, in the aggregate, to the fair value, based on Level 3 inputs, of NEXA’s assets and liabilities acquired on August 31, 2021 (in thousands):

During the first nine months of fiscal year 2023, NEXA contributed revenue of $9.8 million and operating income of $0.2 million, which includes the negative impact of amortization of the acquired intangible assets.

Upstate Metrology: Effective April 29, 2021, Transcat acquired substantially all of the assets of Upstate Metrology Inc. (“Upstate Metrology”), a New York based provider of calibration services. This transaction aligned with a key component of the Company’s acquisition strategy of targeting businesses that can leverage the Company’s already existing operating infrastructure.

All the goodwill related to the Upstate Metrology acquisition has been allocated to the Service segment. Amortization of goodwill related to the Upstate Metrology acquisition is deductible for tax purposes.  The goodwill is primarily attributable to the workforce acquired, as well as operational synergies and other intangibles that do not qualify for separate recognition.

The total purchase price for the assets of Upstate Metrology was approximately $0.9 million. The following is a summary of the purchase price allocation, in the aggregate, to the fair value, based on Level 3 inputs, of Upstate Metrology’s assets and liabilities acquired on April 29, 2021 (in thousands):

Since this operation was integrated immediately into our existing operation, Upstate Metrology’s separate operating income in undeterminable.

The results of acquired businesses are included in Transcat’s consolidated operating results as of the dates the businesses were acquired. The following unaudited pro forma information presents the Company’s results of operations as if the acquisitions of Complete Calibrations, e2b, Alliance, Tangent, NEXA and Upstate Metrology had occurred at the beginning of fiscal year 2022. The pro forma results do not purport to represent what the Company’s results of operations actually would have been if the transactions had occurred at the beginning of the period presented or what the Company’s operating results will be in future periods.

Certain of the Company’s acquisition agreements include provisions for contingent consideration and other holdback amounts. The Company accrues for contingent consideration and holdback provisions based on their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition.  There is uncertainty of the fair value measurement from the use of significant unobservable inputs if those inputs reasonably could have been different at the reporting date. Changes in those significant unobservable inputs to a different amount might result in a significantly higher or lower fair value.  As of December 24, 2022, $0.5 million of other holdback amounts unpaid are reflected in current liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the first nine months of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022, no contingent consideration or other holdback amounts were paid.

During the first nine months of fiscal year 2023, acquisition costs of $0.1 million were recorded as incurred as general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income.  During the first nine months of fiscal year 2022, acquisition costs were $0.9 million.

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Forward-Looking Statements. This report contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions and predictions of future events and are identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “seek,” “strategy,” “target,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “would,” and other similar words. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and thus are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those expressed in such forward-looking statements. You should evaluate forward-looking statements in light of important risk factors and uncertainties that may affect our operating and financial results and our ability to achieve our financial objectives. These factors include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions applicable to our business, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflationary impacts, the highly competitive nature of the industries in which we compete and in the nature of our two business segments, the concentration of Service segment customers in the life science and other regulated and industrial manufacturing industries, tariffs and trade relations, any impairment of our goodwill or intangible assets, cybersecurity risks, the risk of significant disruptions in our information technology systems, our ability to recruit, train and retain quality employees, skilled technicians and senior management, fluctuations in our operating results, competition in the rental market, the volatility of our stock price, our ability to adapt our technology, reliance on our enterprise resource planning system, technology updates, risks related to our acquisition strategy and the integration of the businesses we acquire, volatility in our customers’ industries, changes in vendor rebate programs, supply chain delays or disruptions, the risks related to current and future indebtedness, risks related to our intellectual property, the relatively low trading volume of our common stock, foreign currency rate fluctuations, adverse weather events or other catastrophes or natural disasters, changes in tax rates, and changes in accounting standards, legal requirements and listing standards. These risk factors and uncertainties are more fully described by us under the heading “Risk Factors” in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 26, 2022. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or publicly announce any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

There have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from the information provided in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 26, 2022.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Executive Summary

During our third quarter of fiscal year 2023, we had consolidated revenue of $57.4 million. This represented an increase of $6.5 million or 12.8% versus the third quarter of fiscal year 2022. This increase was primarily due to the recently completed acquisitions, strong demand in our Service segment’s highly-regulated end markets and improved market conditions in our Distribution segment, especially rentals.

Our third quarter of fiscal year 2023 gross profit was $16.4 million. This was an increase of $2.8 million or 20.3% versus the third quarter of fiscal year 2022. In addition, consolidated gross margin was 28.6%, an increase of 180 basis points, versus the third quarter of fiscal year 2022. This increase was largely the result of operating leverage on our fixed costs and accretive gross margins from our rental business.

Total operating expenses were $13.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, an increase of $2.0 million or 17.4% when compared to the prior year third quarter. Included in operating expenses during the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 were incremental operating expenses related to the acquisitions of Alliance, e2b and Complete Calibrations, investments in technology and higher incentive-based employee costs due to higher sales. As a percentage of total revenue, operating expenses were 23.1% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, up 90 basis points from 22.2% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2022. Operating income was $3.2 million, an increase of $0.8 million, or 34.0% and operating margin increased from 4.6% to 5.5% in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023.

Net income was $1.6 million for each of the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022.  The difference between higher operating income and flat net income compared to the prior period is due to higher interest expense.

The following table presents, for the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022, the components of our Consolidated Statements of Income:

Third Quarter Ended December 24, 2022 COMPARED TO Third Quarter Ended December 25, 2021 (dollars in thousands):

Revenue:

Total revenue was $57.4 million, an increase of $6.5 million, or 12.8%, in our fiscal year 2023 third quarter compared to the prior fiscal year third quarter.

Service revenue, which accounted for 62.7% and 59.4% of our total revenue in the third quarter of fiscal years 2023 and 2022, respectively, increased 19.0% from the third quarter of fiscal year 2022 to the third quarter of fiscal year 2023. This year-over-year increase included $2.1 million in revenue from acquisitions, and also included organic revenue growth of 12.0% driven by improvement in end market conditions and continued market share gains.

Our fiscal years 2023 and 2022 Service revenue growth, in relation to prior fiscal year quarter comparisons, was as follows:

The growth in Service segment revenue during the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 versus the third quarter of fiscal year 2022 reflected both organic growth and acquisitions.

Within any fiscal year, while we add new customers, we also have customers from the prior fiscal year whose service orders may not repeat for any number of factors. Among those factors are variations in the timing of periodic calibrations and other services, customer capital expenditures and customer outsourcing decisions. Because the timing of Service segment orders can vary on a quarter-to-quarter basis, we believe trailing twelve-month information provides a better indication of the progress of this segment.

The following table presents the trailing twelve-month Service segment revenue for the first, second and third quarter of fiscal year 2023 and each quarter in fiscal year 2022 as well as the trailing twelve-month revenue growth as a comparison to that of the prior fiscal year period:

Our strategy has been to focus our investments in the core electrical, temperature, pressure, physical/dimensional and radio frequency/microwave calibration disciplines. We expect to subcontract approximately 13% to 15% of our Service revenue to third-party vendors for calibration beyond our chosen scope of capabilities. We continually evaluate our outsourcing needs and make capital investments, as deemed necessary, to add more in-house capabilities and reduce the need for third-party vendors. Capability expansion through business acquisitions is another way that we seek to reduce the need for outsourcing. The following table presents the source of our Service revenue and the percentage of Service revenue derived from each source for the first, second and third quarter of fiscal year 2023 and for each quarter during fiscal year 2022:

Our Distribution sales accounted for 37.3% of our total revenue in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 and 40.6% of our total revenue in the third quarter of fiscal year 2022. During the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, Distribution segment sales showed an increase of 3.7% or $0.8 million to $21.4 million. This increase was primarily due to strong demand for rental orders.

Our fiscal years 2023 and 2022 Distribution sales growth, in relation to prior fiscal year quarter comparisons, was as follows:

The change in the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 versus the third quarter of fiscal year 2022 for the Distribution segment reflected organic growth.

Distribution sales orders include orders for instruments that we routinely stock in our inventory, customized products, and other products ordered less frequently, which we do not stock. Backorders are the total dollar value of orders received for which revenue has not yet been recognized. Pending product shipments are primarily backorders, but also include products that are requested to be calibrated in our service centers prior to shipment, orders required by the customer to be shipped complete or at a future date, and other orders awaiting final credit or management review prior to shipment. Management uses pending product shipments and backorders as measures of our future business performance and financial performance within the distribution segment.

Our total pending product shipments at the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 were $9.5 million, an increase of $0.6 million versus the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2022 and an increase of $1.8 million since March 26, 2022. The year-over-year increase in pending product shipments and backorders was a result of the disruption to the supply of products as well as increased orders.

The following table presents our total pending product shipments and the percentage of total pending product shipments that were backorders at the end of the first, second and third quarter of fiscal year 2023 and each quarter of fiscal year 2022: